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Hi all! New mom here with a few questions..

I have an 8 day old baby boy
He is doing great, eating like a champ!! However my poor nipples are getting the worst of it. I know that it is pretty normal to have sore nipples in the first few weeks, but he has now cracked one and made the other one pretty red and sore. So far they are not bleeding. I went to my LC at my OBs office today, his latch is great, and I am positioning him in a cross cradle hold which is working out pretty good.
I am questioning some of the advice the LC gave me however.
-She said I could pump one breast to let it heal for about 24-48hrs and bottle feed him and nurse him on the other breast. I really don't want to introduce a bottle too early. Is there any advice out there about this?
-I currently use Lansinoh cream which is nice, but she prescribed my APNO cream. Is there anyone out there that has used this already?

I would take any other advice at this point to make the feedings less painful (when I say painful, it mostly his first few suckles, but if my nipple is sore the feeding can be somewhat uncomfortable) and traumatic to my poor nipples.
Thanks!!

Re: Hi all! New mom here with a few questions..

Has anyone talked to you about the possibility of thrush? APNO will help with thrush if that's what it is, but if thrush is the problem or part of the problem you really need to treat the baby as well as yourself.

-She said I could pump one breast to let it heal for about 24-48hrs and bottle feed him and nurse him on the other breast. I really don't want to introduce a bottle too early. Is there any advice out there about this?

The LC's advice is good advice- but the course of action she is suggesting is not risk-free. As you said, you really don't want to introduce the bottle this early and risk nipple confusion. However, for a mom who is on the point of quitting due to pain, a 24-48 hour break can make a world of difference.

I would take any other advice at this point to make the feedings less painful

1. Strive for the best latch possible every single time.
2. Experiment with different positions.
3. See a different LC, preferably an IBCLC. Sometimes one pro will pick up on something that another has missed.
4. Go topless/braless as much as possible.
5. Moist healing (lanolin, soothies, APNO).
6. Keep your house humid.
7. Pump a little before latching baby on to draw nipples out.
8. Immerse cracked nipples in a shot glass of warm water for 30-60 seconds before nursing to hydrate scabs- moist scabs tear open less painfully than dry ones.
9. Nipple sandwich technique: http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/latch-on.html
10. Give it time! Latch problems with a newborn are tough, but as the baby grows and his mouth grows, they tend to disappear. A bigger mouth can latch on more deeply.

Re: Hi all! New mom here with a few questions..

Congrats on your baby boy! I had sore, cracked (and bleeding) nipples for the first week or so (baby is still only 2.5 weeks but that seems like so long ago already...). The cure for me was expressing some breastmilk after nursing, spreading on the nipple, letting it dry, then putting the Lansinoh on. Within 1 day of using breastmilk on the nipple I was already healing! I was totally healed from cracks and bleeding within 3 days. It was great!

Good luck - follow the advice of others on here as they were lifesavers for me with my first DD and now with DD#2.